Why it's a hot spot Los Angeles County is the nation's second-largest school district. It has more than 100 public and private high schools. It's the best producer of talent because it has the largest population to work with. It also boasts several schools -- notably Junipero Serra and Long Beach Poly -- that have long been pipelines of Power 5 talent.

Prized recruit: USC WR Juju Smith-Schuster. USC has long been the dominant force in L.A. recruiting. From Long Beach Poly, Smith-Schuster was No. 24 in the 2014 ESPN 300. He was a key factor in the Trojans' recent resurgence and is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Poly, one of Southern California's premier high school programs produced six top-100 players in the last 10 years.

Why it's a hot spot: South Florida is the most heavily recruited area in the country. Among Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties, it's Broward that has produced the most top-100 players among those three. The South Florida region is a target of teams throughout the SEC and ACC and other national programs reaching into the area.

Prized recruit: Alabama WR Calvin Ridley. In the last 10 years, the region has produced 10 players who have been on teams that played for national titles. Ridley, from Coconut Creek, is the best example of that. He has played a part on Alabama teams that have been in the last three CFP title games and was the Tide's leading receiver in all three seasons.

Why it's a hot spot: The county covers Houston and is the most populous in Texas. Houston has long been a battleground for recruiters, and the area has only grown in that regard with Alabama, LSU and Florida State joining the Texas powerhouses that recruit the area.

Prized recruit: Houston DT Ed Oliver. The Cougars sophomore made history as the first five-star prospect in ESPN's rankings to choose a Group of 5 school. He is one of five players from the region ranked in the top five overall in the ESPN 300. In two seasons, Oliver hasn't disappointed winning the Outland Trophy and twice earning All-American honors.

Why it's a hot spot: North of Atlanta, Gwinnett is the second-smallest county to produce this level of talent. It doesn't have the sheer numbers of other counties but consistently produces. It has had seven top-25 players in the last 10 years.

Prized recruit: Georgia LB Lorenzo Carter. The county is teeming with SEC and ACC recruits, but Carter is important. Georgia hasn't always garnered its home-state's best but got Carter in the Class of 2014. This season, Carter was a defensive star in Georgia's SEC title-winning season.

Why it's a hot spot: With Dallas at its center and covering more than 900 square miles, the county is core to recruiting for the Big 12 and the Texas programs. The numbers have tailed off since 2013, but its central location for Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and others make it the Big 12's most important area.

Prized recruit: Ohio State DB Jeffrey Okudah. Dallas County has been dominated by Oklahoma and Texas in the last 10 years. That being said, Okudah's recruitment by Ohio State signals an interesting pattern for those recruiting the state. Ohio State has made inroads to Dallas County and North Texas, also landing J.T. Barrett from Wichita Falls. Okudah, a five-star in the 2017 class, is just the latest from pipelines Urban Meyer has opened.

Why it's a hot spot: This is where the "State of Miami" legend began. It has produced countless stars, especially for the hometown Hurricanes, but Florida State and Florida as well. The pure numbers have gone down, but Miami-Dade will always be a hotly contested region.

Prized recruit: Florida State RB Dalvin Cook. He is a picture of recruiting in the region. His high school, Central, produced the most talent in the region. Cook, mentored by Hurricanes fan Luther Campbell was once committed to the Gators before flipping to the Seminoles. After leaving the 305 he broke nearly every FSU rushing record.

Why it's a hot spot: It's simple. Since IMG Academy fielded its first football team in 2013, the number of recruits in the area has exploded. The school attracts players from all over the country. It's the smallest county represented among the top counties, and were it not for IMG, which produced four top-100 players in the 2018 class alone, Manatee would not make the list.

Prized recruit: Clemson DE signee Xavier Thomas. The five-star defensive end from South Carolina played his final season at IMG. Thomas left the Tigers' backyard for Bradenton and opened him up to recruiting pitches from the elite recruiters who are regulars at IMG. Thomas never wavered on his commitment and will be another five-star talent on Clemson's defense.

Why it's a hot spot: The I-4 corridor, running from Daytona Beach through Orlando and ending in Tampa is crucial to many programs in the southeast. Hillsborough County, which incorporates Tampa, has a wide array of recruiters with a presence there. Florida and Florida State have taken the most out of the area, but schools as far away as USC recruit Hillsborough.

Prized recruit: Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III. The former five-star recruit is Hillsborough through and through. He played at Wharton High School in Tampa and became the center of a heated recruiting battle before going to Florida and returning to be a first-round pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Why it's a hot spot: Like other counties in Florida, Duval attracts recruiters from all over. Jacksonville is the largest city in the county and is close to the North Florida schools as well as Georgia, South Carolina and Clemson.

Prized recruit: Auburn LB Jeff Holland. Auburn pulled Holland away from the Florida schools to make him a centerpiece of the Tigers' resurgent defense in 2017. Holland was an all-SEC player and one of several high-profile, heavily recruited defensive linemen from Duval County.

Why it's a hot spot: With the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex divided over several counties it breaks up the area's population. Tarrant, which encompasses Arlington and Fort Worth, is another North Texas area vital to the Big 12. It's also important to Nebraska, which has recruited the area since its time in the Big 12.

Prized recruit: Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett. Of all the counties represented, Tarrant is the only one to produce a No. 1 overall NFL draft pick. Garrett was the top-ranked player in Texas in the Class of 2014. He was a huge recruiting victory for Texas A&M and accounted for 31 sacks for the Aggies before being drafted by the Browns.